Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Effect of aging-related network changes on unimanual sensorimotor learning – a simultaneous EEG-fMRI study

View ORCID ProfileSabrina Chettouf, Paul Triebkorn, Andreas Daffertshofer, Petra Ritter
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.15.431203
Sabrina Chettouf
1Brain Simulation Section, Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin & Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
2Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Sabrina Chettouf
  • For correspondence: sabrina.chettouf@charite.de s.chettouf@vu.nl petra.ritter@charite.de
Paul Triebkorn
1Brain Simulation Section, Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin & Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
3Institut de Neurosciences des Systèmes, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Andreas Daffertshofer
2Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Petra Ritter
1Brain Simulation Section, Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin & Berlin Institute of Health, Germany
4Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Germany
5Einstein Center for Neuroscience Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin
6Einstein Center Digital Future, Wilhelmstraße 67, 10117 Berlin
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: sabrina.chettouf@charite.de s.chettouf@vu.nl petra.ritter@charite.de
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Sensorimotor coordination requires orchestrated network activity mediated by inter- and intra-hemispheric, excitatory and inhibitory neuronal interactions. Aging-related structural changes may alter these interactions. Disbalancing strength and timing of excitation and inhibition may limit motor performance. This is particularly true during motor coordination tasks that have to be learned through practice. To investigate this, we simultaneously acquired electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in two groups of healthy adults (young N=13: 20-25y and elderly N=14: 59-70y), while they were practicing a unimanual motor task. Both groups learned the task during brain scanning, which was confirmed by a 24h follow-up retention test. On average, quality of performance of older participants stayed significantly below that of the younger ones. Accompanying decreases in motor-event-related EEG-source beta band power (β, 15-30 Hz) were lateralized in both groups towards the contralateral side, albeit more so in younger participants. In the latter, the mean β-power during motor learning in bilateral pre-motor cortex (PM1) was significantly higher than in the older group. Combined EEG/fMRI analysis revealed positive correlations between fMRI signals and source-reconstructed β-amplitude time courses in contralateral and ipsilateral M1, and negative correlations in bilateral PM1 for both groups. The β-positive fMRI response in bilateral M1 might be explained by an increased cross-talk between hemispheres during periods of pronounced β-activity. During learning, the Rolandic β-power relative to rest was higher in bilateral PM1 in younger participants, suggesting less task-related beta band desynchronization in this (better performing) group. We also found positive correlations between Rolandic β-amplitude and fMRI-BOLD in bilateral M1 and negative correlations bilateral in PM1. This indicates that increased β-amplitudes are associated with increased M1 “activity” (positive BOLD response) and decreased PM1 “activity” (negative BOLD response). Our results point at decreased pre-motor inhibitory inputs to M1 as possible source for increased interhemispheric crosstalk and an aging-related decline in motor performance.

Highlights

  • Sensorimotor coordination performance decreases with increasing age.

  • During motor learning the β-power in pre-motor areas is reduced with age.

  • EEG/fMRI points at less effective inhibitory inputs from PM1 to ipsilateral M1 in older adults.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY 4.0 International license.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted February 16, 2021.
Download PDF
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Effect of aging-related network changes on unimanual sensorimotor learning – a simultaneous EEG-fMRI study
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Effect of aging-related network changes on unimanual sensorimotor learning – a simultaneous EEG-fMRI study
Sabrina Chettouf, Paul Triebkorn, Andreas Daffertshofer, Petra Ritter
bioRxiv 2021.02.15.431203; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.15.431203
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Effect of aging-related network changes on unimanual sensorimotor learning – a simultaneous EEG-fMRI study
Sabrina Chettouf, Paul Triebkorn, Andreas Daffertshofer, Petra Ritter
bioRxiv 2021.02.15.431203; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.15.431203

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Neuroscience
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (3514)
  • Biochemistry (7371)
  • Bioengineering (5347)
  • Bioinformatics (20329)
  • Biophysics (10048)
  • Cancer Biology (7782)
  • Cell Biology (11353)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (6454)
  • Ecology (9985)
  • Epidemiology (2065)
  • Evolutionary Biology (13361)
  • Genetics (9377)
  • Genomics (12616)
  • Immunology (7729)
  • Microbiology (19119)
  • Molecular Biology (7478)
  • Neuroscience (41163)
  • Paleontology (301)
  • Pathology (1235)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2142)
  • Physiology (3183)
  • Plant Biology (6885)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1276)
  • Synthetic Biology (1900)
  • Systems Biology (5329)
  • Zoology (1091)